Strong soft skills will put you in the driver's seat for a great career!
Employers tell us that strong soft skills are what they are looking for in new hires.
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Watch the videos below.
Find out why having strong soft skills can help you get and keep your dream job!
What are Soft Skills?
Interpersonal skills such as
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Teamwork
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Work ethic
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Dependability
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Time management
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Ability to work independently
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Communication
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Problem solving
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Flexibility
Unlike “hard” skills (ie. knowing how to program a computer or operate a piece of equipment), soft skills aren’t always easy to teach. But that doesn’t mean they’re not important. Some employers say soft skills are the most important skills!
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Employers are willing to teach new employees the “hard” skills they need to succeed.
Soft skills are a lot harder to teach. Employers often hire job applicants because they already have these soft skills.
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Learning and using soft skills can vastly improve the quality of your work. Employers are looking for employees they can count on. They want employees that can do a variety of tasks quickly and accurately. By using soft skills, you can be your best self while performing the tasks assigned.
We recently spoke to local employers. They told us about the value of soft skills in the workplace and how they affect the quality of work done by employees.
View the videos below to learn more about soft skills and how it can help you land a job.
Independent Work
Independent Work and Generational Differences
Independent work is vital to any business. If you can’t work on your own, you'll have difficulty in most work settings.
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With technology like smartphones and the internet, people can work from home in many careers. Employees must be able to work independently or they will have a lot of difficulty in the working world.
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Millennials are people born between the 1980s and the early 2000s. They are often thought of as not strong at independent work.
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“It’s an attitude problem,” says Greg Sloan, a baby boomer. Greg was born between the mid 1940s and 1960s. He has 22 years of experience in the printing industry. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Some people aren’t willing or able to work on their own, and that hurts the employer and the other employees.”
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Linda Vanderbent is a member of generation X. She was born between 1960 and 1980. She has run a childcare centre for 3 decades. She doesn’t agree that millennials are unable to work independently.
“I think that people can choose whether they want to work in the daytime or night time, or from home or from a specific location. I think it’s a sign that the times are changing,” she says. “Because of technology, we’re able to conduct business from other locations. It doesn’t have to be a specific site where everybody comes to you. I think it’s easier now for people.”
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In a way, workers do have it easier in the modern world. But this comes with the requirement to be able to work well alone. Independent work is now a skill more essential than ever before.
Independent Work with Felton Brushes, ACS Valves and Flying Squirrel
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When you work independently you take initiative. You don't wait to be told what to do. You work until the job is done. You ask for help when needed and take ownership of your mistakes.
Watch this video to find out why local employers believe having this soft skill will help you keep your job.
Dependability
Dependability with the Other Bird and Felton Brushes
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You have great dependability skills if you
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are reliable
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are dependable in performing job-related tasks
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finishing assigned projects
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meeting deadlines and appointments
Watch the video to find out why dependability is so important to employers.
Work Ethic
If you have a strong work ethic you
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are dedicated to the company
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feel personally responsible for your job performance
This video will help you understand why a good work ethic is crucial to keeping a job.
Work Ethic with Fruitland Manufacturing and Reptile Kingdom
There is no universal #1 soft skill. All of these skills help you win over your employer. Some soft skills are more important for different jobs.
Working at a popular fast food place is different from working at an escape room. The fast food place has a lot of employees and works like an assembly line. Each person has a different task and must work together to serve customers. If one person is slacking, everyone else must pick up their slack. For this job, the important soft skills are teamwork and work ethic.
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What’s the most important
soft skill?
Jump over to the job at the escape room. There are fewer employees at the fast food restaurant. Here, one person oversees
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informing the group
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running a group through the room
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saying goodbye
The responsibility is on one person to make sure the guests have a good time.
Each job requires its own skill set. The key to success for any job is being able to use many skills. One soft skill alone is not going to win you the battle. You’ve got to be able to use them all together. These skills will be your secret weapon to becoming the ideal employee.
Workforce Planning Hamilton
Hamilton City Centre
77 James Street North, Unit 117
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8R 2K3
info@workforceplanninghamilton.ca
Tel: 905-521-5777
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